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Friday afternoons we have training sessions at work. They're held at our Heights location, which is about a kazillion miles away from where I live, and having to get home on a Friday afternoon is a pretty ardorous task. This Friday was ok though. Anyway our training this week was on HIV/AIDS. We had some Houston AIDS task-force type people come out and do a presentation. They also brought a plebotonist with them who administered free tests if we wanted one. Only about 10 of us got tested, and most of them were from my site, which I found funny. They were the "cheap" old tests, where we have to wait 2 weeks for the results, instead of 40 minutes like the more costly tests. Even though they said the different tests were all accurate, I opted for the blood test instead of the mouth-swab thing. I'm not nervous about getting the results. I'm pretty apethetic to it, either way. I'll have two weeks to prepare myself for any bad news, to think up some postive aspects to having HIV... like being a walking biological weapon... hell yeah!!!!

Anyway, here are a few things we learned.

Greatest Risks of Being Infected

1. Needles (IV, piercing, tatoo)
2. Anal Sex
3. Vaginal Sex
4. Oral Sex
5. Child Birth
6. Nursing Children
7. Blood Transfusion (before 1985)

So all the fun stuff has the greatest risks....

Four Body Fluids HIV is Transmitted Through

1. Blood
2. Pre-cum
3. Semen
4. Vaginal Fluids

Though it's rare, people have gotten HIV from trying on contact lenses and by getting a manicure/pedicure. And though most claim air kills HIV, and that dried blood cannot infect anyone, there are cases of that as well. So for example, you COULD get HIV from sharing a toothbrush with someone. HIV can get into the pores of your mouth, you dont even have to have any cuts or be bleeding, and you dont have to SWALLOW. They told us that alcohol, including mouthwashes and things of that nature, makes the pores in our mouths up to five times bigger. So no unprotected oral sex after you brush your teeth! I'm kidding... unprotected 'anything' is putting yourself at risk. You don't even want to know the kinds of facts they gave us on Herpes and Hep A, B & C. You'd wrap yourself in plastic wrap (but NOT the microwaveable kind!) and never leave your house again. sweet dreams to all the sluts out there.

Always remember to quit while you're ahead.

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